CAS Connection CAS Spotlights archive

Everyone Loves to Hate the Joker

COMICS AND CARTOON STUDIES, DISABILITY STUDIES, ENGLISH - What makes the comic book villain the Joker such a popular antagonist for Batman? It’s one of many questions Professor Elizabeth Wheeler examines in her latest research paper, “The Joker’s Shifting Face: Eighty Years of Mad History in Batman and American Culture.”

A Window to the Brain

NEUROSCIENCE- For decades, scientists have believed that the outermost layer of our brain is divided into distinct areas, each responsible for performing different, separate information processing tasks. But recent research suggests the reality is more complex than that—and Evan D. Vickers wants to find out why.

Ready to Take on the World

The graduating class of 2025 represents the diversity of thought that is a hallmark of a liberal arts education. With 2,936 students graduating with a degree—including bachelor’s, master’s and PhD levels—this year’s group of CAS graduates is about 13% larger than class of 2024. Equipped with a liberal arts degree, these three graduating seniors are prepared to forge their own path.

A Brain on Music

PSYCHOLOGY - Since earning his PhD from the Department of Psychology in 1996 under the joint supervision of professors emeriti Douglas Hintzman and Michael Posner, Daniel Levitin has become one of the most prominent figures in cognitive science. Levitin visited the Eugene campus to donate his papers to the UO Libraries’ Special Collections and University Archives, Levitin delivered a guest lecture about his new book to students in a course on cognitive psychology taught by Nicole Dudukovic, director of the UO’s Neuroscience Program.

Humanities Take Center Stage

All the world’s a stage for CAS students, whether they’re on the screen, in the classroom, in the lab or beyond. Hear from Dean Chris Poulsen about how humanities programs like theatre arts and cinema studies build valuable skills—and how storytelling fosters an understanding of what it means to be human. And if you’re in the Eugene area, buy your tickets for the University Theatre production of POTUS, which runs Feb. 7-23.
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